Amazon Hits a Holiday High Note

After a series of ads where they entertained using their distinctive “smiling” parcels, Amazon have pivoted during the 2020s to ads based on strong emotional storytelling. It’s a strong move for a brand whose media and streaming business is such a huge part of their public profile, and Amazon’s ability to attract top directors has helped them craft some beautiful and memorable ads. But without a consistent character or device to follow, Amazon have to earn our attention all over again ever year.

How have they done in 2024? “Midnight Opus”, created in-house, is another tear-jerking tale. This time the focus isn’t on lavish efforts but on Amazon’s ability to enable a small act of kindness. The ad shows us a theater janitor who sings to himself while doing his rounds. A colleague hears him and realizes he has a special talent, and his fellow theater workers set up a unique performance with a microphone and a spotlight. But an Amazon delivery lets them give him the finishing touch – a tuxedo so he can look the part of a crooner as well as sing like one. The outfit gives him the confidence to let his voice soar, and the ad ends on a triumphant note.

The ad takes its audience on a powerful and satisfying journey, while avoiding the negative emotions which have sometimes been hard for storytelling ads to resolve. “Midnight Opus” includes plenty of right-brained elements – creative devices proven in Orlando Wood’s Lemon book to drive long-term effectiveness by grabbing the “broad-beam” attention of the right brain. There’s a strong story following a single character. There’s a powerful sense of place in the darkened theater. And there’s plenty of non-verbal communication between the fellow workers helping our shy hero out.

Most of al, though, there’s music. The emotional heart of the ad is the 1965 Burt Bacharach and Hal David standard “What The World Needs Now Is Love”, a timeless melody which works its magic whether sung quietly at the beginning of the ad or belted out at the end. Strong melodic music is another powerful reference, and the hopeful message is meant to resonate at the end of a tough year for consumers.

Like all Amazon’s recent Christmas ads, “Midnight Opus” is a global commercial, released in multiple markets worldwide simultaneously. In the US, it scores a very strong 4.9-Stars, just outside the elite 5-Star bracket but still well ahead of the holiday average. And it lands an Exceptional short-term Spike, important as the company gears up for Black Friday next week. On Brand Fluency, though, the ad only manages a Good score – there’s a crucial moment where the distinctive parcel and logo show up, but it’s quite late in the ad. Like the performance in the ad, “Midnight Opus” starts a little tentative and ends on a high note – with stronger branding upfront Amazon would have a bigger hit on their hands.

Get Into the Holiday Spirit With Our Christmas Advertising Playlist!